A bit of backstory:
I'm sure a lot of you know that in addition to my STI I have a Chevrolet Silverado that I also modded. Since it is lifted, I have to park it in my driveway therefore leaving it exposed to the elements of the boondocks where I live. So, because it was left outside, the feral cats that my neighbor calls "his" [simply because he feeds them] proceeded to claw the **** out of the hood, fenders and bumpers climbing their way up to sleep on my truck. Since the truck is dark grey there wasnt much I could do to hide the scratches and I was at a loss on how to repell the cats.

For those of you who know me pretty well, you know that about a month or so ago I had a pretty bad car accident in said truck. Was body checked into the cement guard rail at highway speeds and screwed everything up pretty badly.

Just for reference on how bad it was...


Brought it home yesterday...so excited to have it back!!


But thanks to a good specialty shop that rebuilds/builds lifted trucks, my truck is now back to being roadworthy and in my possesion. So along the way with the repairs, the hood, fenders and bumpers were all replaces and repainted. I drove it home last night and I was overjoyed.

Until I came out this morning and saw two of my neighbors cats asleep on my BRAND NEW HOOD!!!! Needless to say they got the crap scared out of them, but now my brand new hood and fenders are already scratched.


So here is the jist of the thread...is there some sort of measure I can put into place at my house that will repell the cats? Obviously my first instinct is to start poppin' off these mangey cats with my .22, but I cant be expected to sit out front all night every night to do so. Is there some sort of cover I can put on my truck that they wont immediatley want to crawl onto? Some sort of electric pulse repellent? Will the repellent hurt my dog?
I am at my freakin wits end and my neighbor called the cops on me the last time I tried to trap the cats to take them to the pound. He said they are his cats, even though they were simply strays he leaves food out for. My argument being, if they are yours, KEEP THEM ON YOUR PROPERTY!

Any advice you all could offer would be greatly appreciated. I just dont know what to do at this point....
Thanks for readnig this essay-like post...

 

Car cover?...

 

Ugh that sucks. I have similar issues with neighborhood cats as well as a neighbor who put up this canopy thing that blows all around in the wind. I have asked him to do something about it 3x now over 2 months of watching it blow around and actually touch my friend's car that is sitting in my yard. Well, last week during the storms it flew up in the air and then came down on my friend's car, putting a scratch down the left side of the car from the windshield to the side skirt ('02 WRB Bugeye). I saw the guy out there rubbing on the car and I ran out and asked him not to touch it. I know he has no intention of being responsible so I am curious how this will turn out. If my friend has to call his insurance I believe I will take the canopy down the rest of the way for him. Sucks so bad when people are irresponsible with their animals and/or belongings!

Not sure what to do about cats. For a while I kept a car cover on my R32 and my RS coupe so they would not get scratched but that is a pain in the ***. I would be outside every once in a while and see a cat near my car and hose it down with the garden hose/firehose attachment but they come right back when I am not out there. I think one even peed in the vent in front of the windshield on one car a couple years ago which was not awesome... Eew?

 

If you get a car cover (providing you can find one large enough) you can cover it every night, I doubt it'll get scratched through a grey vynal cover.

 

Simple problem...


Call animal control, report them as feral and a nuisance. Next inform your neighbor that you will be traping and sending to the pound ANY cat found on YOUR property, if he can not manage to keep them on his property. The legal rights are yours here not his.

 

A motion detected sprinkler system will get them off of your truck

 

There are repellents (pellets and even plants) that will keep them off your property; possibly.

Non-lethal traps with a lock will keep them around long enough for Animal Control to get them with no neighbor interference.

You can also lure them somewhere other than your car by planting catnip and/or a small space heater in the yard - that will certainly keep them off the car as they are most likely only interested in the warmth it yields.

 

A cover will actually do more damage than the cats. I've seen how dirty that truck can be.

 

Thanks Ryan! You should see it now, I went mudding yesterday!
And it wasn't that dirty when you moved...

They clawed right through it. I came out and it had been used as a scratching post...
A vinyl cover? Like a serious protective shell?
WTF Paul, you're my brother, get out here and start killing them for me!

I've called animal control twice. They say they will come out and attempt to trap them, but they never show up. I may just have to start trapping them and getting rid of them myself. I guess I can buy traps at someplace like Tractor Supply? Then I do what? Take them to the pound? Will they take them? A few of these cats are mangy/sick/beatup looking so I doubt the pound would keep them a live long if they took them. I dont want to have to drive out to some abandoned road and let them go out there, but if the pound wont take them I may have to ...

I have told the neighbor before to keep them on his property or he is liable for the damage [i wanted to repaint the hood before the accident]. But he said that they can go wherever they like, he's not liable and the scratches are my fault for leaving the truck out. Its too big for my garage!!!

That would be awesome...

Repellents? go on...
Would a space heater be a fire hazard out there though?
I really dont want to hurt the cats, I am not an animal hater, I just dont want this truck to end up trashed again so I want to do what I can.
I guess traps are the best way...

Alright, guess I will have to have a cat-trapping party!!!

 

Yes, they smell like **** but they work. Typically they are pellets or fertilizer like in composition and smell like their natural predators (coyotes, etc.) they work like a charm.

A small space heater should be fine as long as it is not out in dried grassy areas (i.e. a dirt mound or wet grass should work fine).

 

My mom uses these to keep her cats out of certain rooms: http://www.dealtime.com/xPO-Scat-Mat...-Prem-Scat-Mat
I don't know if they would work outside, or if they would be a big enough to prevent the cats from jumping over them on to the truck.... but they really worked on her cats cuz they shock the crap outta them and then they never go back

 

My mom uses these to keep her cats out of certain rooms: http://www.dealtime.com/xPO-Scat-Mat...-Prem-Scat-Mat
I don't know if they would work outside, or if they would be a big enough to prevent the cats from jumping over them on to the truck.... but they really worked on her cats cuz they shock the crap outta them and then they never go back

 

Predator urine will do the trick!

http://www.predatorpee.com/newpredatorpee2003.html

 

just hook a generator and some alligator clips to your car.

 

Any time. It's what I'm here for.

By the way... I like the new wheels.